The Bad Guys are good

What if nature’s most fearsome creatures formed a criminal gang? Director Pierre Perifel shows us that world in DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys, based on the children’s books by Aaron Blabey. This heartfelt action comedy is Looney Tunes meets Oceans 11 meets Fast and Furious—and it’s clever enough to make it a treat for the whole family.

The Big Bad Wolf (Sam Rockwell) leads a gang of thieves that includes Snake, Tarantula, Shark, and Piranha. Snake (Marc Maron) is a safecracker. Tarantula (Awkwafina) is a computer hacker. Shark (Craig Robinson) is a master of disguise. And Piranha (Anthony Ramos) is the gang’s muscle. The five friends tire of robbing banks and decide to steal the unstealable to solidify their “bad guys” reputation. They plan a heist to nab the “Good Samaritan Award” right before it’s handed to Professor Marmalade (Richard Ayoade), a philanthropic guinea pig. But the plan unravels when Wolf impulsively performs an act of kindness, causing him to question whether bad guys can be good.

The Bad Guys is rated PG for action and rude humor. The movie contains some flatulence jokes, and one character repeatedly refers to a heart-shaped object as looking like a “butt.” But overall, The Bad Guys is a family-friendly movie that entertains both kids and their parents.

We’ve seen many versions of this bad-boy-with-a-heart-of-gold story, and no one will be surprised when Wolf ends up wearing sheep pajamas. But despite the story’s familiarity, The Bad Guys feels fresh and fun. Much of that freshness comes from Perifel’s sleek animation. He combines computer-generated imagery with a 2D feel, giving the film a gorgeous texture that’s a welcome relief from the typical Pixar-­lookalike style. The Bad Guys is the most beautifully animated film I’ve seen since 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Perifel’s artistry enriches technically brilliant action sequences: the car chases, the heist montages, the fight scenes—all fantastically entertaining. And it’s all very funny. The humor operates on two levels, containing a balance of slapstick farce and wry social commentary. Kids will laugh at absurd violence reminiscent of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. Parents will chuckle at the movie’s mockery of wealthy self-satisfied do-gooders.

The Bad Guys asks its audience whether we’re sometimes too quick to judge others, a common theme in kids’ entertainment. This film ponders whether Wolf and his gang are bad guys because they’re inherently bad or whether society’s antipathy has left them with no other option. Almost everyone besides the main characters is human, which seems odd at first, but these “bad guys” animals are a metaphor. Wolves, snakes, spiders, sharks, and piranhas are rarely dangerous to humans, but we have an outsized fear of them. Are societal prejudices just as unfounded?

We see some familiar themes in the movie—the need for love, friendship, and rescue—but we also find less popular but still important themes—the need for repentance and taking responsibility for past actions. The film even avoids the trap of claiming we’re all good at heart. It acknowledges the existence of wickedness, while suggesting goodness can be found in surprising places. Is it coincidence that the entire plot revolves around the Good Samaritan Award, which reminds us of Jesus’ parable about help coming from a supposed enemy? The Bad Guys echoes the Bible’s teaching that we can’t judge the heart based on appearance.

Another strength is the movie’s willingness to wrestle with the meaning of “goodness.” At one point, a character says we should do good because it makes us feel good. This platitude pervades much children’s programming, but in The Bad Guys this selfish ethic proves to be inadequate for virtuous living. Doesn’t sin offer people good feelings for at least a moment? Toward the movie’s end, one of the bad guys gives a more helpful definition of right action. He realizes doing good requires sacrificing and putting other people’s needs before our own. It’s a serendipitous moment parents can use to reinforce teachings about Christ’s love for His people.